The Jets announced this morning that Tannenbaum, the GM of a team that finished the year 6-10, missed the playoffs for the second straight season and became a whirlwind of drama and chaos, has been fired. The organization also revealed that Rex Ryan will return as head coach.

“My days with Coach Parcells through my years as General Manager of the team that went to back-to-back AFC Championship games have been the fulfillment of a dream I have had since I was a little kid and I’ll always be grateful to Woody, the two head coaches, Rex and Eric, as well as all of the players, staff and the entire organization for this opportunity,” Tannenbaum said in a statement.

In a previous statement released by the team, owner Woody Johnson declared that the year “was a disappointment to all of us.” He also said that the hunt for Tannenbaum’s replacement will commence ASAP.

“Our 2012 season was a disappointment to all of us. My goal every year as owner is to build a team that wins consistently. This year, we failed to achieve that goal,” Johnson’s statement read. “This morning, I informed Mike Tannenbaum that he will not return for the 2013 season. Mike devoted 15 years of service to the Jets, and I want to thank him for his hard work and dedication. Although he helped guide us to two consecutive AFC Championship games, we are not where we want to be, and a new General Manager will be critical to getting this team back on the right track.”

The statement added that Johnson has spoken to several “football executives” in regards to the GM hunt and hired the search firm Korn/Ferry International.

As for Ryan, Johnson said, “I believe that he has the passion, the talent and the drive to successfully lead our team.” The team later postponed Ryan’s scheduled press conference for Monday.

There had been speculation Tannenbaum, who started his Jets career as a salary-cap expert during the Bill Parcells regime, would be asked to stay in the organization in another capacity. But Johnson instead chose to make a clean break with Tannenbaum.

“While of course it is disappointing to not achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship, I am incredibly proud of our overall winning record and success,” Tannenbaum said. “I feel very fortunate to have been the general manager who drafted cornerstone players during a period that yielded four playoff victories and 22 Pro Bowl appearances.”

In addition to a new general manager, the Jets will have many other important decisions to make.That includes possible openings at all three coordinator positions. Offensive coordinator Tony Sparano appears likely to be fired, while defensive coordinator Mike Pettine is in limbo after choosing not to sign an extension and special teams head Mike Westhoff is retiring.

Their quarterback situation is a mess with Tim Tebow sure to be gone and Mark Sanchez getting worse with each game.